English language is safe in many ways. One major reason is that it does not have the singular and plural practice. Of course, the British introduced us to the Your Honour, My Lordship etc, but we also have our dose of Mahaswamiyavaru, Ammanniyavaru etc. In the modern times, we do with Sanamanya which will take care of all the respect one has to fill into one’s address. The mutt seers are another lot. Let us not go there, with Sri Sri Sri and One Thousand Sri and Ten Thousand Sris etc.

In any case, it is not a big deal to show respect where it is deserved, and all that one needs to register respect is to address the person in the plural. The Chief Minister did not show that courtesy with regard to a legendary king long dead, but still held in respect and awe among the old Mysuru region.

It so happened that there was a meeting at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s house in Mysuru regarding the famous Devaraja Market, which is partially collapsing and needs repair. The Mayor of Mysuru, MJ Ravikumar, stated that the market is historically significant and that Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had constructed it. The Chief Minister reacted saying that, The Maharaja built it from public money, and not from his own funds. The Maharaja was a government in himself. While we are elected representatives, he was the ruler. He was supposed to work for people and that is why he did it.”

Now, if he had said it with a socialist background, it could have been taken, even with a pinch of salt, but he used the singular while referring to Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar commanded respect from the British and even from Mahatma Gandhi, who called him a Raja Rishi. Gandhiji described the Mysuru Kingdom as Rama Rajya under Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Any historian’s description of the Mysuru kingdom during his time sounds like an ideal state.

There were extraordinary reformist projects and schemes he implemented. Mysuru was a century ahead of other states in India because of him. We were the first to get electricity in the country. We were the first state to have streetlights. Nalvadi has a long list of achievements to his credit. It is for this reason that people still refer to him in the plural.

Why did Siddaramaiah refer to him in the singular and particularly his comment of ‘building the market using public money’? The reason is very simple. Just last month, when the I-T sleuths raided Energy Minister DK Shivakumar’s house, his past-80-year-old mother, in a fit of rage, slammed Siddaramaiah like only an old woman can rattle. She used the singular and questioned why Siddaramaiah was bagging all the credit for all government projects and asked whether he used his personal money to carry out any welfare work?

This must have pricked Siddaramaiah’s king-size ego. Even though old women are allowed some tantrums, grumbling and even tweaking the ears, this was a bit too much for Siddaramaiah to take. Nobody had asked him such questions. In the recent past, Siddaramaiah has been gloating about his ‘success’ and is not listening to his own colleagues, when they give him sane advice. All the pent up frustration must have exploded.

But there is a difference between him and the old woman. Even DK Shivakumar himself apologised for his mother’s remarks and nobody took it seriously. But a Chief Minister of a State speaking in such a callous tone about a respected historical personality shows his lack of grace and poor work ethic. Just like the CM admitted that he was not the Maharaja and cannot act like one either, he should understand that if he does not carry out his duties as a public servant, people would show him his place. Even then people don’t refer to the CM in the singular in a meeting. Decorum demands that as head of state, you show respect to those far higher than you in stature.

Social media is abuzz with debate on this issue. Many feel we don’t refer to our gods in the plural, and hence it is fine to refer to historical personalities too in the singular. We don’t refer to Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, founder of Bengaluru, in the plural, and so is the case with Krishnadevaraya or much later Tipu Sultan. The point is not that. Do we run down Krishnadevaraya because his Vijayanagara Empire was so rich only because the people were rich? The issue our Chief Minister should understand is that heads of state are not its owners, but its administrators. It’s what one does during one’s term that is important, not who one is.

Incidentally, the Tourism Department hired contractors and razed the light house in Kumata last week. It was built by the British and was called the Symbol of Love. The media carried the news in some corner as a brief in the inner pages. We sure seem a people who do not respect our history and heritage. I’m sure the CM will find nothing wrong with that. But will the people forgive him for his recent insult?

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